Wavin' Flag
K'naan
Based on acoustic version seen live. Thanks to others who have posted this
amazing song which is the official World Cup 2010 song and has become in the last
days, Canada's song for Haiti relief. The Em7 is basically walking down from the
C to the Am - only finger 2nd and 5th strings. My first post, so be gentle.
(Intro – sung over single-string picked melody or single chord played in short arpeggio):
C F
When I get older, I will be stronger,
Am G C
They'll call me freedom, just like a Wavin' Flag
(Verse 1):
C Em7
Born to a throne, stronger than Rome
Am G
but violence prone, poor people zone,
F Em
But it's my home, all I have known,
Dm F G
Where I got grown, streets we would roam.
C Em7
But out of the darkness, I came the farthest,
Am G
Among the hardest survival.
F Em
Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Dm G
Except no defeat, surrender retreat,
C Em7
So we struggling, fighting to eat and
Am G
We wondering when we'll be free,
F Em
So we patiently wait, for that fateful day,
Dm G
It's not far away, so for now we say
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/k/knaan/wavin_flag_acoustic_crd.html ]
[Chorus]
C F
When I get older, I will be stronger,
Am G C
They'll call me freedom, just like a Wavin' flag
F Am
And then it goes back, and then it goes back,
Am G
And then it goes back, and then it goes
C F
When I get older, I will be stronger,
Am G C
They'll call me freedom, just like a Wavin' flag
F Am
And then it goes back, and then it goes back,
G
And then it goes back oh oh oh
(Verse 2 – same chords as Verse 1):
So many wars, settling scores,
Bringing us promises, leaving us poor,
I heard them say, love is the way,
Love is the answer, that's what they say,
But look how they treat us, Make us believers,
We fight their battles, then they deceive us,
Try to control us, they couldn't hold us,
Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers.
But we struggling, fighting to eat,
And we wondering, when we'll be free
So we patiently wait, for that faithful day,
It's not far away, but for now we say,
[Chorus]
(Bridge (Note 2nd and 3rd “oh,oh,ohlines are sung simultaneously with the two
lines of lyrics immediately following them):
C Em7 Am G F Em Dm
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
G
And everybody will be singing it
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
C Em7 Am
And you and I will be singing it
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
G F
And we all will be singing it
Em Dm G
(Ohhh Ohh Ohh Ohh)
[Chorus] 2x
(Coda):
C Em7 Am G
When I get older, when I get older
F Em Dm G C
When I get older, just like a Waving Flag,
Em7 Am G F
Just like a Waving Flag, just like a Waving Flag
Em Dm G G
Flag, flag, Just like a Waving Flag
